Texas governor’s race: Sure thing? Or stunning upset?

More than a year after it began, the Texas governor’s race is entering a frenzied two-month windup toward the Nov. 4 election, with Republicans exuding confidence that they will easily keep the office that Gov. Rick Perry has held for 14 years while Democrats insist that they are within striking distance of a stunning upset.

AUSTIN — More than a year after it began, the Texas governor’s race is entering a frenzied two-month windup toward the Nov. 4 election, with Republicans exuding confidence that they will easily keep the office that Gov. Rick Perry has held for 14 years while Democrats insist that they are within striking distance of a stunning upset.

After vaulting into the race on a torrent of fanfare from her Senate filibuster last summer, Democratic state Sen. Wendy Davis has consistently trailed Republican Attorney General Greg Abbott in the polls, leading some analysts to declare that the race is all but over as candidates mark the traditional Labor Day kickoff of the final nine weeks of campaigning.